Plan for children’s nursery and youth hub at bungalow in Wellington

Plans have been lodged to turn a detached bungalow in Wellington into a ‘much needed’ nursery for 35 young children and a ‘hub’ for local youth.

The bungalow in Mill Bank doesn’t have parking spaces for visitors so applicant Nazmin Akhtar, of Little Explorers Nursery, is proposing using local car parks.

Planning agent Stephen Dunne, of Dawley Architectural, said: “The nursery will provide 35 much-needed early years places in an area where demand significantly exceeds supply.

“Alongside this, Youth Connections will offer a permanent, inclusive space for young people to access life-skills workshops, creative projects, mentoring, and employment support.

“These services address a clear gap in Wellington.”

Planners at Telford & Wrekin Council have also been told that existing nurseries and childminders are operating at capacity, resulting in long waiting lists and very few options for funded two-year-olds.

“Many families struggle to secure childcare within walking distance,” the agent said.

The plan is for the nursery to be used by children aged two to four years old.

“A 35-place nursery at Redcroft provides an immediate, targeted response to this shortfall and delivers accessible, affordable early years provision for local families.”

The applicants said the centre would be fully inclusive and SEND-accessible, with sensory-friendly spaces, quiet zones, visual aids and trauma-informed, neurodiversity-aware staff.

“Outreach will prioritise underserved groups including SEND families, care leavers, young carers, NEETs, and marginalised communities,” they added.

The applicants said they have agreed “in principle” to use the Mill Lane car park which is one minute’s walk away.

There is also an unused private car park directly opposite the bungalow and the Princess Street car park.

“Given the modest scale of the nursery and youth provision, the controlled operating hours, and the site’s physical characteristics, the proposal will not result in any unacceptable impact on residential amenity,” the agent wrote.

A consultation exercise has been launched on the Telford & Wrekin Council website with the reference TWC/2026/0107